Sleepover
by Dagron
Summary: Shiho has been invited to Sonoko Suzuki's impromptu sleepover party! But adjusting to life in high-school, after bringing the organization down, isn't easy.
1. Sleepover

Author's note: beware, this has a high rating for a reason. Also Claude I hate that this story you prompted me to write is still haunting me 5 years on.

* * *

 **The Sleepover.**

* * *

The spare room was normally bare. It was one of numerous rooms that were hardly to rarely used by the present Suzuki family members. Most of these empty rooms found some use as a guest room or a recreation room from time to time. Others were used by the household servants.  
This room however was, on this special night, placed in a position of honour.

It was being used for Sonoko Suzuki's impromptu sleepover party!

A couple of Futons were hastily plonked into the corner of the room as the younger daughter of the family readied the more important elements of the evening. The Flat Screen Television quickly found a socket in the wall, and her DVD player soon joined it. Beside it she piled a couple, okay, maybe a double dozen of DVD cases, music CDs and VCDs. After a long hesitation, she rushed out and swiftly returned with a box containing a games console, games and a play mat in tow. One never was too safe, and if ever the talk of boys or interest in chick flicks died out, a good game of Dance Dance Whee would always be welcome to bring back the fun... And the dating simulations couldn't hurt either.

She squealed as she noticed a scroll in the box. Obviously she had been looking for it everywhere but there. As a mark of pride, she swiftly pinned it up on the wall, not far from what had till that day been the only furnishing of the room: an old calendar. Considering that the image on the calendar suited the painting on the scroll, Sonoko decided against taking it down. Kid the phantom Thief and a pretty picture of the moon? It would be a crime to separate them!

But of course, a sleepover party was nothing without snacks, and she deposited a mountain of crisp bags, popcorn, and cold drinks on a small table in a suitable corner of the room. She might ask one of the housemaids to prepare some sandwich foods a bit later.

But now for the finishing touches. Sonoko had been thinking about these ever since she had had the idea of organizing the sleepover. She randomly grabbed some pillows from all the spare rooms and cupboards, as well as from her own, and neatly arranged them on the floor, keeping three to one side.  
Once this was done, she took the three, one red, one blue and one fawn, and she placed them on top of the folded futons. A small, sweet smile came upon her face as she pulled over a shopping bag she had kept aside till then. The words "Plushie Kingdom! Order your own customized toys!" could be read on the side, as she reached in to pull out its contents.

"Hey there, clumsy clogs!" She said, as she pulled out a stuffed toy made to look like a bespectacled teen, wearing a Teitan High uniform. She gently sat him on the fawn coloured pillow, before winking at it, satisfied as to its appearance.

"As for you..." Sonoko continued, pulling out a second doll of a Teitan High student. "Your role tonight is to stop being a jerk and comfort Ran whenever she remembers that you are one, okay, Shinichi-kun?"  
The Shinichi toy was put onto the red pillow, and was gratified with Sonoko pulling out her tongue at it. There was a very simple reason why Sonoko could never understand why so many girls liked to fangirl the teenage detective.

"And now last but not least!" One last stuffed teenager was now pulled out of the bag, this time one with a tan and dressed in a white Karate Gi. The young woman looked at it with sad, lonely eyes as she traced the sewn on shape of a plaster on the toy's left eyebrow.  
"Makoto," she whispered. "I miss you."

And as if to remind herself of him, that she wasn't alone and could count on him and her friends in her times of need, she cuddled the toy tightly against her breast and closed her eyes, remembering all the times she and the karate champion had been together, had talked, had written to each other.

It took her a good five minutes before she found the strength to put the plush toy of her romantic interest on the blue pillow, but by then she was back to her smiling, energetic self again. She blew a kiss at the doll and left the room to find the shower. She only had an hour or so left to prepare for her guests after all.

* * *

Shiho Miyano sighed as she picked up the chemistry sets and put them away: typical of undedicated teenagers. As soon as the bell rang the end of their session, they would forget everything about how to properly clean up a test tube or fold away a microscope. She couldn't help but grin though, as she was helped by one of the remaining students who had had the kindness to stay behind in case help was needed. Quite a few of the Science Club members seemed to be promising students, and were very much into creative thinking, a must for anyone who wanted to do research. All they lacked was discipline and a few years worth of intensive learning.

"Thank you," she said to the girl. They had just finished clearing the room, and Shiho gave her a smile as she locked the cupboard, indicating that she was free to go. The girl mumbled embarrassedly, bobbed her head and then hurriedly left, leaving the newly elected science club responsible to shake her head in amusement. That student reminded her of someone through some aspects of her personality and appearance... But of who? Shiho pondered this as she picked up her own satchel and jacket. It seemed all so long ago now.

What she remembered most vividly was the hair. Yes, long dark and silky hair, that would flow within one's grasp. Twirling her own locks, she couldn't help but look sadly at nothing as she recalled their differences... A time before life had meaning.

"Hey! Miyano-san!"

Shiho was startled, as she stopped in the doorway to blink at the boy who had called out her name. Kudo Shinichi gave her a cheeky grin.

"You know, it's ironic that we live right next door to each other now, and I still have to hunt you down at school to talk to you."

She did not deign to answer that comment with more than a cynical smile and a short reply.

"Talk away."

Shinichi followed her as she, without waiting for him to continue, picked up her satchel and jacket. Even though she pretended not to, she couldn't help but notice her friend had a slight limp as he started after her.

"So... I hear you're head of the Science Club now? I must admit I never thought you would sign up to Teitan High-School, let alone join the Science Club. Aren't you qualified to work in some research joint or something?"

"It was that or die of boredom. As fun as chemical experiments in the professor's lab are, it doesn't beat interaction with other people my age." She grinned, purposefully ignoring the last bit of his response. She had no wish to have people boss her around on what she should be researching any more. "I thought you told me you had quit the Football Club?"

At this she stopped. They were in front of the lockers, and she was ready to put her scuffs away. But she didn't. Shiho had stopped to look at Shinichi, at the mark on his face. She had seen some of the youths in the football club. It didn't take much imagination to figure out what had caused the red scuff mark on his cheekbone.

"I heard that Sonoko has invited you to sleep over tonight?" Clever sidestep of the topic, Kudo. Clever.

"Now where did you hear that I wonder?" It wasn't a topic she felt like talking about, much. She slammed her locker door and slipped on her shoes.

"Ran told me."

 _Ah_.

"She seemed so thrilled that Sonoko had invited the two of you over. I hope you're not going to disappoint her by not turning up..."

Now what was that supposed to mean? As if it mattered to him, whether she got on with his girl and her friend or not... She turned to ask him as much, but remained careful not to show the true motive of her unwillingness to go.  
"What do you care? And even if I don't show up, I'm sure Suzuki-chan has lots of other friends coming over... It's not as if I'd be missed."

"Ran is..." Shinichi stalled, obviously realizing he didn't want to use whatever approach he'd just began. He quickly chose another one. "Let's just say that Sonoko isn't like that okay? She may seem like the kind to organize big parties, but more often than not, she only invites people she really trusts home. Believe me I've been confused about this before. Everyone knows she's the daughter of the rich Suzuki Corporation, but I don't think half the girls in the class have ever been to her home... Except that once for her 13th birthday, but that turned out to be a-..."

"Alright, alright! I get it!" If she hadn't interrupted him, who knows how long he could have gone on for? Shiho remembered some of his rants on the Suzuki's daughter from when they had been Edogawa and Haibara. Sometimes she wondered what could have caused such active sniping in between the two.

"Now if you've finished patronizing me?" She said, pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket. "You need to stop that bleeding on your cheek. You look like someone's been at you with a knife. Not that it'd be the first time, mind you..."

"Tch... Don't worry." He grinned recklessly as he brushed at the cut on his face. He was good. He hardly winced. "I should have known that with Hondou in the Football session there would have been flying shoes involved. For once I got my own back though!"

Shiho did not want to find out the details. Shinichi's smirk was scary enough.

The two were spared a lull in their conversation by the sound of Shinichi's phone vibrating. Apologetically, he answered the incoming call. The name of inspector Megure was all Shiho needed to understand what the call was about... And for once, she had the choice on whether she should get involved or not. She took the obvious option and waved a goodbye at Kudo as she left the building.

As she was walking home to professor Agasa's house, she idly wondered whether there had been some ulterior motive in Kudo's wish to talk with her. Maybe there'd been some topic the phone call prevented him from broaching? Please let it not be something to do with the black organisation, again. Chances were he would try to come and see her to discuss it later that evening. That did not sound like an appealing program.

"Maybe..." She thought out loud. "Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea for me to go over to Suzuki-san's tonight."

She hadn't planned on going, due to various issues. It was, however, a much more appealing prospect to spending an evening talking about the criminal organisation she was so busy trying to forget. Especially since most of the key members were either dead or behind bars by then.

Miyano Shiho checked her watch. Good, she should have the time for a quick shower before going over.

By then she had forgotten about her memories of long flowing hair.


	2. Tardy

The meat was simmering away in the pot, steam was whimsically floating out of the rice cooker, and the meal boxes were neatly laid out beside, ready to contain the food and keep it warm. All this was under the watchful eye of Ran Mouri, as she vigorously rubbed her hair with a towel. There hadn't been a Karate session that afternoon. Their tutor had had a personal emergency and was unable to find a suitable replacement at such short notice. Usually the young woman would have been disappointed, but today...

Today, she smiled.

She knew exactly what use to make of this sudden amount of free time.

It seemed an eternity since she had last slept over at Sonoko's. Oh sure, there had been the odd occasion, but there had always been some murder to delay plans, the odd incident Conan would have gotten into that required her to keep a closer eye on him for a while. It was all fine going off to places like Izu, or some mansion in the mountains, but that was not like the sleepovers they had grown up with and come to love.

Ran had missed that special girl time with her best friend... And for once her father had no case to solve. For once she did not need to worry about Conan... Especially now that Shinichi had come out with the real truth behind his absence. For once Sonoko had agreed to forget about chasing the boys or looking for adventure.

But that wasn't the only reason Ran was looking forward to this evening.

For the first time since Shinichi's return, she was going to be able to have a decent talk with Shiho Miyano, the one she had first met as Ai Haibara.

She checked the time, noted that the meat still had a couple of minutes to cook, and turned to her night bag. She had her sponge bag and change of clothes ready. Her pyjamas were nicely folded at the top of the pile. There would most certainly be enough room for the food. That and a little more...

With a contented smile, Ran pulled out of a drawer a pack of photos. They had been taken a while back now, but she had only recently got them developed. The disposable camera had lain for months, forgotten, in her room.

There were photos of Conan amongst them, photos of outings with the Detective Boys which Ran had chaperoned. There were also photos of Ai-chan smiling, unaware of what Ran had been doing.

Ran had always been a generous and caring person. Her gift to Sonoko that evening would be a lovingly cooked meal. Her gift to Miyano? Mementos of a happy time, and a reminder that she did not need to forget old friends just because of a name change.

Noticing that the food was ready, Ran dropped her towel and packed the food, careful to leave a plate for her father and a note.

* * *

"What's taking her so long?" Sonoko Suzuki whined.

She wasn't used to people showing up late. Ran would always call her if some mystery came in the way, and most of the other people she would invite to outings tended to be on the early side anyway. Heavens, Makoto had gone as far as to camp out weeks before a rendezvous, just to make sure he didn't miss it.

The host of the evening fidgeted with the sandwich display she had organized with the help of a maid, moving one set of sandwiches this way, then that way.

"Don't worry Sonoko. I'm sure she has a perfectly good reason for being this late. We did clearly tell her at what time we expected her, didn't we?" Ran, her calm and optimistic self, was busy messing with the oven, trying to find the best way to keep the food she had brought warm without letting it dry out.

"Yes, we did. We said six pm sharp, and it's already quarter to seven!" With an exasperated swing of her arms, Sonoko twirled around from the sandwich platter to face her friend as she closed the oven door. "I saw the look on her face when we invited her Ran. I don't think she's going to come."

"Now what makes you say that?" Her long haired friend replied. Her face wasn't as serene any more. A small wrinkle of worry had found its place between her eyebrows. She remembered Miyano's expression too. But she also remembered asking Shinichi whether he could make sure Miyano didn't feel too intimidated to come over. If there was one thing Ran was now certain of, it was that Shinichi did keep his promises.

"She didn't want to come, Ran. When we asked her she looked as if we'd just asked her to chop her hand off."

"Then why did she accept? Seriously, if it were that bad coming here, I don't think she would have bothered telling us she would come and then not call up with some excuse to cancel. She's not that kind of person!"

The two friends glared each other in the eye, one defending the absent girl and the other feeling bitterly disappointed at being stood up.

"How do you know?"

"Huh?"

"How do you know she's not that kind of person? We hardly know her! She transferred some time during the last year into the class above us, and all we know is that she helped Shinichi out on that stupid case of his and that she likes to hang out with Eisuke from time to time. How can you tell whether she's the type or not?"

Stunned, Ran opened her mouth but no answer came forth. How could she tell her best friend that they hadn't told her the whole truth, that there was more to Shinichi's absence than just some case? And even if she did, how could she prevent Sonoko from sketching it down to Ran making up some incredible scenario to comfort herself after Conan and Ai's departure?

With a sigh, she replied.  
"It's not simple to explain. Look, just trust me on this. She helped Shinichi out for starters, and that's enough for me."

Dubious, Sonoko relented.  
"Right. But if she's still not here by seven, we're going to go and have fun without her!"

Ran smiled in a resigned manner as Sonoko went to get some glasses and pour herself something to drink. Hopefully Miyano would arrive any minute now. She would be so disappointed if it turned out the older girl had lied about her intentions of coming.

There was a ring of the doorbell.  
Suddenly both alert and hopeful, the two young women simultaneously dropped whatever they were doing to head briskly over to the front door. All the servants of the household had already left, leaving only them to let their friend in, if it were at long last her.

The door opened, showing a slightly dishevelled woman of about nineteen years. Her auburn hair dancing in the slight evening breeze, she dropped her backpack to the ground and bowed her head.

"Sorry. The Professor needed a hand rearranging his lab and..."

She didn't need to continue any further, as the host of the evening and the detective's daughter promptly decided to enthusiastically welcome her in.


	3. First Impressions (flashback)

Koizumi Akako sighed as she walked towards the Beika district's subway station.  
Another lousy outing. Why she had ever succumbed to this one boy's pleas to go out with him this evening were beyond her. Okay, that was a lie. She knew full well why she had accepted, but it didn't change the fact that she had had to suffer a largely predictable amount of mindless praise and debilitating waffle. It didn't help that he had chosen detective novels as a topic to bore her with, constantly bringing back to mind the smug half British would be Sherlock and his famed opponent.

Phantom Thief Kid, when will you let her make you hers? For nearly two years already he'd been driving her crazy. Oh sure, she had gotten over her childish tantrums and desperate tactics, but it did not mean she was ready to give up merely because he was the only man to still refuse her.  
That was in fact one of the main reasons he interested her so. That was why she had given up on the death threats or obvious love spells. That was why she was now contenting herself with watching over him, offering him useful advice, helping him out when he was in need. All in the hope he might stop playing games with her and actually look upon her as a person, a friend, maybe at long last as a woman, a woman in love.

Yes. As much as she hated to admit it to herself at times, she, Koizumi Akako, had fallen for a gentleman thief who every morning would come to school and flip up his best friend's skirt.

And that was why, after months merely keeping the attention of the other men around her more out of pride than real desire, after weeks of constantly refusing the company of another man than Kid on any one on one date, she had given in. She had allowed herself to despair and look elsewhere. When that teenager that looked so like him had asked her on a date, she had said yes.

Why oh why had she said yes?

First there had been a terribly boring walk in the park, him babbling on about nothings, his nervousness overriding his normally more composed demeanour. (At least she suspected it was so. Akako pitied any poor girl who had to suffer such waffle on a daily basis!)

Then there had been the ice cream café. Oh the embarrassment.  
Nakamori Aoko and her friend Momoi Keiko just had to be there. And then there was the matter of the dead body. Her date had had the cheek to leave her side and run to the corpse's, like a child to a new toy.

Naturally she had left without saying a word, fearing what terrible rumours might come from her classmates after witnessing her demise. Akako found herself both frustrated and angry as she walked down the street, looking for an innocent outlet for her rage, looking for something to distract her from the tears swelling up in her eyes.

Finding nothing, she was obliged to find a bench and sit down as she slowly got her emotions under control.  
It was then that she saw her. Only a glimpse, but for some reason the auburn head of hair seemed unmistakeable.  
Akako stood up, and darted around the corner to see if she could get a better look. Yes it was her. Just as she remembered, but different somehow. Still the same smart fashion sense, the same calculating purpose in her movements... But now with a freedom she didn't recall her having when they had met... Was it only two years ago already?

Akako smiled as her lost acquaintance ran out of her sight without noticing her. She felt grateful somehow. The memory of their acquaintance had reminded her how transitory a feeling love could be, helping her deal, at least for a moment, with her infatuation with Kid.

It was a good memory, even if it wasn't an all happy one.

* * *

Shiho had not really lied when she had said she had to help the professor with rearranging his Lab. It had not, however, taken as long as she would have them believe.

The real reason why she was so tardy was because she had remembered something she wasn't sure she should have. For a start she had remembered whose long hair that student had reminded her of.

It still seemed like a life time ago, but those memories of silky long dark hair and fresh water running along her skin had been among the sweetest she had. She had spent nearly an hour in the shower, half reminiscing, half worrying about what this might mean for the evening ahead. By the time she did get out of the shower, she was shocked to see what time it was. She barely gave herself the time to put on the first clothes she could put her hands on, grab her bag and run.

* * *

Koizumi Akako had just turned sixteen that year, and already she was an expert when it came to twisting boys around her little finger. It hadn't been that straight forward an achievement of course. On many occasions she had had to change schools, either because the boys would begin to fight over her in a disorderly manner, or because the girls would so envy her influence over the other gender that they would do anything to get her kicked out. It had taken many painful lessons for her to figure out how to manage the delicate balance between popularity and chaos. It had also taken her one clumsy initiation at the age of fourteen to realize that she needed to keep a boundary between her and others' desires.

But Akako was a Koizumi. Like all those of her family, she learnt her lessons well and put them to full use.

So it was no wonder that when she found herself in direct competition with some cynical red head around her age for a waiter's intentions, she was not pleased. She fumed as she watched the waiter bow before the other girl's demands. The icy glare she'd seen one of the girl's male companions give the waiter must have been what tipped the balance. There was no way someone could trump her charms when it came to sex appeal... Except maybe her mother and cousin, but they did not count.  
Akako spent the next twenty minutes after the incident plotting how to get back at the cheek of her newly found opponent. By the time the waiter at long last brought her her order, she had made her decision.

She had been staying at some luxurious inn in the mountains at the time, not far from some legendary hot springs. She knew that if she wanted to avenge her honour, she probably didn't have much time. Most people only stayed there five days at most. She had observed the strange trio of the red head and her two companions during their meal. Their lack of commentary on their surroundings seemed to indicate that they had eaten there previously, whereas their serious expressions as they consulted each other on some seemingly professional matter was a worrying indication that their stay might very soon be over.

But how best to get her own back? Should she take it out on one of the girl's companions? Akako studied the two as she ate her own meal. One was a stocky man in a black suit. He wore sunshades and seemed to differ more to the other man than he did the girl. Not that he was handsome enough to interest any women of good taste. The other man however, with his tall build and sharp features... His long bleached hair seemed to promise quite a sensuous time. His eyes, on the other hand, were much colder than the red head's had been, even when he did gaze upon her or Akako with a semblance of lust. Some instinct within Akako told her that whatever her confidence in her charms, she did not want to mess with that man.

That left only one option. Confronting the girl alone.

But when? Where?  
She wasn't going to infiltrate that girl's bedroom just to get her own back! And, considering the protectiveness of the taller man, even there, chances were they would have company.

It was as she was pondering this that the red head unwittingly gave her the answer she was looking for.

"Waiter! Can you tell me when the baths close?"

A smile crept its way onto the young Koizumi's face. The baths here were free access, sure, but more importantly they were most-certainly-not mixed baths. If the red head was going to use them that same evening, she'd have to leave her male companions behind.

"You going to the baths at this hour?" asked the stocky man of his female companion.

"Sure. I like it better when it's nice and quiet."

The smile turned into a satisfied smirk. Well, that settled it, didn't it? Now all she needed to do was find out the girl's name the better to confront her and voilà. Akako celebrated this decision by taking a well deserved sip of juice.


	4. Welcome

It didn't take long for the girls to go in, help Shiho to dump her things in the room, and show her around the place. The Suzuki household was big, as she had expected it to be, but she had not expected it to feel so homely, so... Well, lived in, really.

One would often visit castles or old buildings that looked so tidy, so neutral, so void of activity. Their rooms might have had personality, an air of ready to be used, but that was the point. They did not feel as if they were currently being used as anything more than a display case, even in those buildings that were actually still lived in or used on a regular basis for other purposes than tourism. The Suzuki home, on the other hand, showed much evidence of being a family home. There a discarded newspaper, here a bunch of flowers, over in the corner some letters and birthday cards, whereas over there one could spot a small toy car hidden and obviously forgotten under a chair. Traces of the parents, the children, the maids and other visitors, though invisible at first, would, as she took in her surroundings, catch her eye before she let it pass.

Obviously she had spent a year too long in Kudo's close company.

As for the company, Shiho glanced quietly at Ran and Sonoko as they seemed to squabble about some dish or other. It was interesting to watch just the two of them, without the context of either high-school or the presence of the young detective boys. It is true what is said, that the eye of the observer changes the thing observed. She had had a very opportune occasion to observe as such when she, as Haibara Ai, had taken Edogawa Conan's place for a day. Staying over at the Mouri agency under the guise of their then young charge had given her more insight on not only Kudo's situation, but also on Ran and her father's personalities. They behaved differently with Conan on his own than with Conan and his friends, feigned cold notwithstanding. And it was the same here, outwith the context of High School both girls seemed to relax and allow themselves more juvenile taunts than they would in class.

It was quite surprising to see how different Sonoko was, actually. At school she always seemed so eager to please, her energy obvious in all she did, except maybe when tedious lessons were involved. Shiho recalled how Sonoko had first appeared to her when she had been Haibara: a girl desperate for attention, seemingly easy going but with a tendency to shy away from big changes. She hadn't exactly been the most child-friendly of teenagers either. She had reflected at the time at how strange it seemed that the two, Ran and Sonoko, would be such good friends, and now, even though Kudo had mentioned to her some anecdotes that had explained the fact a bit better, she couldn't help but smile at how comfortable the two seemed together, standing there in the Suzuki dining room, chatting away. Sonoko had lost her edge of attention driven eagerness, to be left with a warmth and energy to compliment Ran's tenderness and patience. It was a pleasant reminder of the companionship she had felt with young Ayumi, had witnessed between Mitsuhiko and Genta, the feeling that had held their whole group together.

"Where do I put this?" she asked, indicating the tray she had carried through.

"Just there, Miyano-san, that'd be great, thanks." Replied their hostess, still grinning from something Ran had said.

"I'll just go and bring that last dish through." And with that, the detective's daughter had left the two alone in the room.

"Say, Miyano?" Sonoko asked her companion, as she picked up a bottle of juice to pour into their glasses. "How do you know Kudo Shinichi?"

Shiho looked at the sceptical expression with which the teenager had asked this of her, and held back the cynical retort she had instinctively prepared. It wasn't a stupid question. Not coming from this girl at this time. She could understand where the scepticism in the young Suzuki's expression came from, and the need to hear her own version of her meeting with Shinichi. Shiho only hesitated a second before giving the answer she felt most appropriate.

"I met him during one of his cases, I thought he would have told you that."  
All right, to be honest she didn't just think he had, she knew he had. She had discreetly witnessed a few of the moments where Ran and Sonoko had questioned the detective about their relationship, and had been informed in detail by him of the occasion when he had told Ran the whole truth.

"Can you tell me more about this case? Not that I'm really interested, but I'm curious as to how it brought you two together."

Quite an interesting way to put it, Shiho thought, as she and Sonoko sat down, waiting for Ran. It was quite obvious what slant Sonoko was going after, and why she seemed to have this point of suspicion in her attitude whenever alone with her.

"I was a suspect. I helped him solve the case. That's all there is to it." Shiho replied smartly. One of the main reasons she had come to the evening instead of calling in sick was to avoid talking about the case, she wasn't going to let the young hostess deprive her of that choice.

Obviously, this answer didn't seem to please Sonoko Suzuki. But the girl was denied any chance of a comeback or new approach with the arrival of their rice.

"Here you go," said Ran, happily, as she floated back into the room. "Shall we start?"


	5. Lesson (flashback)

**WARNING** for mature content and unpleasantness.  
(And the reason why I haven't felt the urge to share this in 5 years of it being written... /coward) 

* * *

She'd caught her by surprise. As expected, she was alone. Her eyes were lost in some other world as she sauntered through the quiet and darkened corridors to the baths. It wasn't until Akako stepped out of the shadows right in front of her that she took any notice of her surroundings.

She was good. She hardly jumped at all, though the panicked look in her eyes had been priceless if short-lived.

"Oh," she said, her voice calm, near emotionless. "It's you."

"Yes it's me. And I have a name, miss Miyano, that I'd like to teach you to respect."

The red-head's eyes widened at her name, but soon narrowed in annoyance.  
"What do you want, miss airhead?"

Akako was beyond flinching at such a weak insult.  
"The name," she replied, making sure to take on her most authoritarian tone, "is Koizumi Akako."  
She leaned forward, intruding on the other girl's space, close enough to whisper in her ear.  
"And what I want is to teach you a lesson."

"Oh my. A lesson in what may I ask? Finding out people's names just for the fun of harassing them? I'm sure a young girl such as you has much more valuable things to waste her time on."  
And, with a smirk on her face, Miyano proceeded to push Akako aside so that she may head for the door to the baths.  
"I know that I don't have time for such games."

"You don't even want to find out?" asked Akako, turning to glare at her opponent.

The girl paused, as if hesitating whether to deign answer her question.  
With a condescending smile, Miyano tilted her head towards the young witch.  
"What I don't hear won't hurt me."

Within two strides Akako was upon her, grabbing her gi and slamming her against the wall. The cheek of this woman, trying to imply that whatever she would have to say could only be painful idiocies. Akako was so furious, it didn't matter that Miyano was taller, or apparently stronger. She had the benefit of surprise and speed, and now she had her hand firmly held against the other's neck, as she grabbed one of the girl's free hands to prevent her from wrestling.  
Not that she seemed inclined to. All she did was drop her toiletries and cast an icy glare at her captor.

"Don't mess with me."  
It was what Miyano's eyes were saying, but it was also what Akako spat right back at them.

"Why ever would I bother doing such a thing."  
Miyano's reply was caustic.

"Why didn't you ask yourself that earlier? When you challenged me by stealing the attentions of the waiter coming to my table?"  
The sixteen year old took this opportunity to get a closer look at the other's features, as she moved her thumb along the girl's jaw.  
The fair skin, nicely proportioned nose and enticing lips were neatly topped by a pair of potentially very expressive eyes. She couldn't see the colour of the iris in the dim light. She could however make out a more accurate colouring of Miyano's hair thanks to the lights from the baths. Auburn locks were carefully styled to fall just above her eyes, as the length was cut smartly along the line of her chin. Not as red a head as she had first thought... The lighting in the restaurant had been misleading.  
"It's no wonder you managed to distract him. You're face is indeed quite pretty, if a bit exotic..."

She felt more than heard the laughter rising in Miyano's throat.  
"So that's why you want 'to teach me a lesson'? Because some waiter decided to serve me first? My, we had noticed you glaring at our table, but I would never have imagined..."

Before her insolence could go any further, Akako tightened her grip on the girl's throat, her other hand reaching for a fistful of tea-coloured hair. Miyano winced painfully as she pulled.  
"All men shall be my slaves."  
It wasn't a boast. It was a fact as frightening and inescapable as the glow in her eyes.  
Miyano gulped.

Elated to no longer see arrogance in her victim's eyes, to not hear any rebuke as to her claim, to see the person who'd upstaged her merely a couple of hours prior so submissive, Akako smirked.

Only one thing left to seal her victory.

Koizumi Akako leaned forward and gave her opponent a kiss.


	6. Half truths

"So..." Shiho said, feeling slightly awkward as she stirred her bowl of rice and stew, "It is just the three of us tonight?" Not that she minded. There were a lot of girls at the high-school that weren't shy of showing a dislike to her. Not finding any here had been a nice surprise. "I thought you would have invited Sera too."

Ran smiled as Shiho tasted the meal she had made. It was truly delicious and producing many a pleased sound from both hostess and guests. Sonoko sucked thoughtfully at her spoon as she pondered Shiho's question. At the pained expression on the Suzuki's face, Masumi Sera had been a consideration for the sleepover.

"I'd figured you two didn't get along..." She admitted with a sigh, her hair fluttering about as she shook her head. "You always seem a bit shy when she's around, yet whenever the two of you actually talk it's with such a serious expression on your face, as though you're remembering something sour."

"Besides," Ran added as she helped herself to a small sandwich to help with the mopping up of sauce, "when I mentioned the possibility of tonight to her, Masumi seemed quite flustered."

Noticing her two friends staring at her, Ran realised that she had never mentioned that she and their classmate Masumi Sera had been hanging around each other a lot when the other two hadn't been around. They were probably wondering when she had started using the tomboyish detective's first name. Embarrassed, she stared down at her bowl in the hopes that it would make the heat from her face flush away faster.

"So yeah..." Sonoko resumed. "We asked her and she pretty much declined, saying she had a guy to see about some martial arts tutoring. How do the two of you know each other anyway? I know it's not through that case with Kudo..." The glare that accompanied the last statement clearly showed that Sonoko was not in the mood for half-truths.

Puzzled by the rich girl's sharp interest, Shiho pondered what to answer. Somehow, she didn't think the bare minimum truth would satisfy her host, yet, as she went to pour herself some more juice, she could not think of anything more to say.

"We went to the same school in America." It was honest and to the point. Shiho didn't dare look at Sonoko's face, preferring to look away while sipping her juice, only listening for her reaction.

"Fine..." Sonoko replied coldly. Their host's spoon clattered into a now empty bowl. "If you'll excuse me ladies, I'm away to phone my man." And, sharply, she left the room. Shiho winced.

"What's up with her?" Pushing aside the remains of her own stew, she ensconced herself deeper into the cushions in the room while throwing Ran a puzzled look.

"I..." Ran hesitated, having just watched her best friend leave the room. The long-haired girl had a sad expression on her face. "I think she's just having some trouble understanding you."

Having finished her own plate, Ran sat up straighter and fished around in the pocket of her top a moment. "While Sonoko's calling Makoto, I think now's the best time to hand you these..."

"Ah?" Accepting the proffered envelope, Shiho puzzled over the weight of it a moment before discovering the nature of its contents. "Oh... Oh my..."

Seeing the happy smile and wetness in Shiho's eyes, Ran smiled warmly in turn.

"I didn't realize you had taken these pictures..." A snap of a small auburn-haired child, playing along with other children, another of the group walking through a fair, one of her in a nice outfit; all pictures that filled the auburn-haired adult with soothing nostalgia.

"You'd be surprised at the number of pictures I'd forgotten about, Ai." Ran winked as she used Shiho's old pseudonym. "Like that one..."

Looking at the one Ran picked out, Shiho's expression mellowed. It was a shot of Ai and Conan. She'd forgotten the way she used to look at him. Since they'd got their true bodies back, she and Shinichi hadn't spent all that much time together. Shiho had gotten used to the thought that they no longer shared a secret, that now he truly was all Ran's.

"It's amazing what one notices when one knows the truth..." The detective's daughter whispered.

"Yes..." Shiho breathes back. "It is."

Her infatuation with the shrunken Kudo was painfully obvious in that shot... But even though she knew, Ran had still chosen to give her these pictures, pictures of a happy, if eventful, time. Ran had still chosen to be her friend.

"Miyano..." Ran said quietly, after a minute passed in silence, photos being shuffled back and forth. "I think you should tell Sonoko who you really are..."


	7. Once burned (flashback)

The sixteen year old witch's eyes sparkled with malice as she saw her auburn haired opponent's grow wide in surprise. Oh yes, just you be surprised, Akako's not finished with you yet.

Her lips had merely grazed Miyano's at that point, but Akako's goal was not to scare her, no. It was to show her: to show her why all men should serve her and her alone.

She leaned in closer, releasing her fistful of the taller girl's hair, the better to run her fingers through it, to cup the back of her head. With her other hand's thumb, she rubbed along her victim's throat, hoping to get her at enough of an awkward ease to let her in, to allow the tongue that was caressing those lips to go through them.  
Miyano's eyes closed themselves in a snap as her mouth opened, a small wince spilling forth: that was all Akako needed. She breathed and dived in, ignoring Miyano's fingers at her wrists, the urgent look in her eyes.  
Once in, the young witch proceeded to be as gentle as a lamb frolicking about. It would not do to give off the wrong impression now. She felt Miyano's tongue shy away, as she faintly tasted what the teenager had had for dinner. She caressed the palette until, shyly, Miyano's tongue responded, tentatively pushing at her own.  
Thoroughly pleased, Akako closed her eyes, hoping to enjoy the kiss a bit more, before putting Miyano back in her place once and for all. However it was only then she noticed something was wrong. As she shifted her hand from Miyano's throat, the taller girl froze, her mouth no longer responsive, a small shiver beginning to run through her body.

The witch broke off, opening wide eyes to try and ascertain why there had been such a change. No one had sneaked up on them, she'd put a spell in place to make sure no one came within reach without her knowing. She had never had someone respond to her kisses in such a way before either.  
Miyano was still shivering, and her face looked white as a sheet: definitely not normal. Had it been after the kiss had finished of its own accord, maybe, but why...?

It was then the witch noticed the marks on Miyano's neck. Teeth marks, scratch marks. She could only stare at her own hand as Miyano roughly shoved her away. There was blood on her thumb. She must have opened up one of the small wounds on Miyano's neck.

"Who...?"

But Miyano wasn't even listening. She bent down, picked up her sponge bag, and strode through the door to the baths without a word or a glance.

It took Koizumi Akako quite a while before she could decide what to do with herself.


	8. All of it

Shiho stared blankly at Ran as she processed the suggestion. Tell Sonoko who she really was? Why should she ever do a thing like that? Unless...

Shiho felt a lump form in her throat. This wasn't just about satisfying Sonoko's curiosity. This was about gaining her trust. This was about Ran looking out for Shiho, just as she had when she'd only been little Ai Haibara, the new kid who was quiet and sombre.

"I..." Shiho's voice cracked. She wasn't sure what to say. She'd spent so much of her life hiding who she was, it... it was hard to consider doing otherwise. She'd even hid parts of herself from her own sister. Not even Kudo knew all her secrets. The one and only time she'd let anyone in had been...

The image of that long-haired maiden from the magical springs came back full force, bringing a deep rush of heat to Shiho's cheeks.

Looking away from Ran's sad expression, Shiho sighed.  
"You might be right." Her answer was whispered, but she knew that the detective's daughter heard her. The whole point of not being a part of the black organisation anymore was that she no longer needed to hide who she was. It was the very reason she was in Teitan High-school, so she could make friendships and live the normal life Akemi had always wished she could have. That meant building trust. That meant not shying away from letting people in, from letting them know enough to understand... even if it hurt.

Putting the pictures on the small table nearby, Shiho stood and went to give Ran a hug. She could tell by the other girl's expression that it was unexpected, not that she seemed to mind.

"Thank you," Shiho said. She added a few words as an afterthought, but it was clear that she was thanking Ran for more than just that. "For the photos."

Ran returned the hug, arms squeezing at Shiho's waist, reminding her how good it felt to hold, to be held.

"Someone mentioned photos?" Sonoko poked her head through the door, her phone being slipped into her pocket as she spoke. Confusion knotted her eyebrows as Shiho and Ran released their embrace.

"Yes. Uhm..." Shiho stood awkwardly, crossing an arm over her chest. She glanced between her hostess and the floor, not sure where to start.

Chuckling, Ran stood as well, shaking her head. She placed a hand on Shiho's shoulder, its warmth providing support.  
"I believe Miyano has something to tell you Sonoko."

"Oh, you do, do you?" The Suzuki heiress crossed her arms, raising one eyebrow. There was a challenge in her voice. It was clear that Shiho had not made a great impression on her so far.

"Yes, Suzuki, I do." The assured tone in Shiho's voice was more down to her natural reaction to being challenged than any actual confidence. Still, Sonoko's bitter retort was giving her the shove she needed. Either being told the truth would help mellow the rich girl's attitude towards her or...

Goodness gracious, it felt oddly nice to realise that the worse that could happen was that Sonoko wouldn't believe her and chose to keep not liking her much. The secrets she'd spent so much of her life keeping were no longer lethal, all thanks to Kudo.

It was thes little epiphanies, that happened every so often since she had recovered her true appearance and seen her former employers put under, that really had her grateful to count Kudo Shinichi among her friends.

"It will be better to show you." Shiho stepped back towards the small table, lifting the image of her with Edogawa so that the other woman could see.

"This," she pointed at the snap. "This is how I met Kudo."

Sonoko stared at the picture. She blinked. Turning her head, she glanced towards her best friend. Seeing that Ran was nodding and not rolling her eyes or trying to hide some mirth, she frowned. Looking back at the snap, Sonoko's face visibly shifted from merely puzzled to bewildered.

"You can't be serious!"

Putting the snap back down, Shiho nodded.  
"I am being perfectly serious." She extended her hand. "Miss Suzuki, my name is Miyano Shiho. When we first met I was hiding from my sister's murderers under the name Haibara Ai."

She kept her hand held out as Sonoko squinted at her face. Shiho was hoping the brunette would either shake it or turn away. Instead, Sonoko blew a raspberry and threw her arms in the air.

"I knew there was something odd about those two kids!" Frustration was clear in her voice, but there was a note of something else in her voice. Something positive, Shiho felt. Sonoko whirled around to point at Ran. "And you! You knew about this?"

Ran nodded.  
"Shinichi told me, not long after he came back. He told me everything."

"Right..." There was still a little uncertainty in Sonoko's voice, but that didn't stop her from turning back to Shiho, her cold expression replaced by one of quiet excitement. "This, I have got to hear: all of it."

Shiho had feared she'd say something like that, but somehow, she didn't feel annoyed or hounded like she did whenever Kudo brought up her past in the organisation. Feeling Ran's gaze on her, Shiho glanced towards her. The smile on the Mouri daughter's face warmed the heart. Maybe this would be good. Maybe this would help Shiho come to terms with everything.

"But before you start spilling the beans..." Sonoko chirped as Ran and Shiho took their seats. Their hostess reached into a cold box next to the pile of DVDs. She lifted out what looked like a bottle of liquor and some small glasses. "I've got a feeling we're going to need some Sake."


	9. Mission (flashback)

The young auburn-haired woman showed no sign of having noticed her enter the baths after her. She merely sat in her corner, back turned to the door, lathering soap onto her arms and body. She didn't need to acknowledge Akako's entrance though. The young witch could tell by the mere stiffness in her opponent's back, the cold aura she could feel in the room. She didn't try to strike up conversation. What was there to be said after all? Sorry for being a bitch and hey, I'm concerned about who gave you such marks? Really not the best way to get any answers worth knowing, also it was truly not her style.

Mirroring Miyano's attitude, Akako went to the other side of the washing area, her face schooled into an expression of discontent as she began her own ablutions. She hadn't planned on using the spring baths tonight, but she had acknowledged the possibility that her adversary might already have found herself there by the time she was prepared. Discreetly, as she reached for her soap, she slipped her pocket mirror from her bag and set it down, so she could unobtrusively observe the other girl. Just in time to notice the girl flinch as she tried to rub soap onto a spot on her back. The quiet hiss was clearly audible, just as the red mark on the back was visible. Akako had hoped to be wrong about that, had hoped that the marks on her adversary's neck had been all there was...

She sighed. Why the hell was she so concerned about this girl after all? Had it not been for Miyano's white face before, she would have merely assumed the red head was prone to accidents, or, more likely, considering the young woman's usual demeanour, that she liked it rough. The idea that someone could do such a thing to a woman against her will and get away with it... The young witch narrowed her eyes. She did not like the idea one bit.

As she continued to wash her own body, she pondered how best to probe Miyano on the question. She couldn't help but notice whenever the girl would flinch or hold back some form of pain. Nor could she fail to notice how pretty the other's body could have been without such blemishes. Miyano had the potential to become a worthy opponent. One to be respected as an equal. Akako continued to wash for another five minutes once Miyano had rinsed away the soap suds, picked up her towel and headed to the baths proper. Then, her mind made up and her eyes determined, she too stood and followed.

She was hit by the wall of moist, warm air hanging above the baths as she entered. The baths were fed by the part of them that was a hot spring. The sulphur rich liquid in which Miyano was already wading gave off a vapour that gave the whole scene a mystical feeling.

Closing her eyes, the young Witch allowed the moisture to work its magic on her skin, the warmth to gently rub away any tension from her own muscles... She pushed away any thoughts of scratch marks, bites, terrified young women or lost waiters. She pushed away any thought of self and pride. She liked these baths, with their open roof allowing one to peak out at the night sky, to see the stars between two swirls of steam... It was a place where she could remember the meanings of the words flow and nature. It was the perfect place to relax and ponder upon magic spells without the insistent tug of ambition.  
This was also why she tended only to use them when she was really feeling down. Whenever she spent a session there meditating, she'd come out thinking nothing really mattered, feeling out of place in her elitist school environment or in the crowds of tourists along the roads.

She opened her eyes, and dipped a toe into the water. She twirled it around thoughtfully, watching the ripples form and run, reaching out further into the baths, reaching out towards the only other occupant of the waters. No, tonight was very much not the night for quiet reflection. Seating herself on the ledge of the pool, Akako dipped her foot in deeper, beginning to caress the water with her finger tips as she slowly slipped her other foot in. Yes, she was going to have to do something about Miyano. Forget about the waiter, forget her insolence. She was a woman just like her, and something was very wrong with her. If ever the person who'd given her those marks was a man...

A light red glow seemed to come from the young witch's eyes as she herself slid into the water. If there was such a man capable of hurting a woman without any other involved... She did not even want to give such a slave the pleasure of her gaze.


	10. The Gift of Truth

Sonoko Suzuki was still reeling from the revelations. Sure, the Sake helped her to process the whole story without getting too stuck up on the details, but it did make some bits a bit harder to process. Miyano was Ai. Ai was Miyano.

"Wait... Wait a minute..." She slurred a little, somewhat surprised that the alcohol was having quite so much of an effect on her after only having so much. Well, she had gone and pinched a bottle of the good stuff. "I remember now... You were there. At the miss Japanesque event... You were pretending to be Shinichi's assistant... what was the name? Ran, you remember right?"

Ran looked a little startled, having just taken a minuscule sip of the alcoholic beverage. Unlike Sonoko, her childhood friend hadn't had the privilege of hiding away in a backroom with an older sibling to sample some of dad's beer. Sonoko and her sister Ayako had indulged in such a few times in the last couple of years, more noticeably when Ayako had let Sonoko know first that she was away to be engaged. What with the example Ran's father set when it came to alcohol consumption, Sonoko was in fact pleasantly surprised to see that Ran had made it to her second glass, a slight rosy hue tinting her cheeks.

"I... What? Oh, Miss Japanesque... I'd forgotten about that!" Ran turned to look at Miyano, grinning. "You introduced yourself as Haidi. Made quite the impression I might add."

"I did?" Miyano sounded amused. Now that the secrets were out, Sonoko was having an easier time reading the auburn-haired woman's expressions. Yesterday, she might have considered the tone mocking, now... "And yes, I was there," she added for Sonoko's benefit, giving her the patented superior look that somehow now read as impressed. How many times had Sonoko seen that expression on little Haibara's face? "Little Haibara and Edogawa both had a little too much of the Sake cake."

It felt odd to hear the twerp and the quiet auburn-haired child referred to by their surnames, but she could understand Miyano's urge to do so. It must have been so hard to keep up such a charade.

Thinking of keeping up, Sonoko was impressed at how unaffected Miyano seemed to be by the alcoholic beverage. Sure, she'd mentioned going by an alcoholic codename and travelling to places where it was legal for eighteen-year olds to drink, but still... Sonoko had thought herself to be far from a light-weight. Either Miyano was a tank, or she had a darn good poker face.

"Huh..." Turning her gaze back to the screen, Sonoko tried to recall which movie she'd put on. Ah yes, it was that chick-flick with the long name featuring Okino Yoko's old colleague Hoshino Terumi. Meh, it was alright. The TV was mostly on for background noise at this point. The main character, Hanako, was debating the nature or her passion for her man, and whether it was worth waiting until a marriage that may never be allowed to take their torrid love affair further.

The movie scene made her grin. While Ran and Miyano discussed whatever impression it was Haidi had made at the Suzuki Hotel, Sonoko reached out to pull the cold box out of the way. It had been hiding the coloured pillows from view, along with their plush doll occupants.

"... Is that?"

"Is that a doll of Shinichi?!" Ran's voice came out a touch louder than normal, making Sonoko chuckle. "Sonoko, you've not been practicing voodoo again, have you? What did I tell you about sticking pins in Shinichi!"

"Hey!" Sonoko's protest was cut short by the sound of mirth coming from Miyano. The woman was laughing. Sonoko had to take a moment to acknowledge this. She'd only ever seen the auburn-haired woman snicker, even as a child. Shaking her head, she turned to face Ran. She had her arms crossed. "Look, it's nothing like that. It's a gift. For you."

She tossed the doll to Ran before picking up her own. "Here, I've got one of Makoto. Like that whenever one of our boys goes travelling, we've still got a part of them with us."

Saying it like that, Sonoko felt incredibly sappy. Still, she'd known how bothered Ran had been by Shinichi's long absence, and how now and then, even though Ran knew the truth, Sonoko still noticed her occasional double-takes and worried glances whenever the teenage detective left the room she was in. If what Ran felt about Kudo was anything like what Sonoko felt about Makoto being away, being sappy seemed like a necessity.

Miyano finally seemed to recover from her bout of laughter. It had made Sonoko's toes tingle to hear the young woman laugh so freely. As Miyano wiped the tears of mirth from her eye, she looked nothing like the austere foreigner she seemed to be in school. The ex-scientist leaned forward and peered at the pillows from where Sonoko had plucked the two dolls.

"Who's the third one?" She mused, not quite able to make out the doll's features from where she was sat.

"I..." Sonoko suddenly felt unsure. It was one thing to get Ran a doll of Shinichi, it was another to make presumptions about Miyano... Especially now that she'd been told of Miyano's past. "Miyano, I got this for you."

She reached for the doll, scratching the back of her head with one hand.  
"I... We... Ran and I noticed that you and Hondou like to hang out a lot, so I thought..."

Miyano, her face blank, accepted the doll Sonoko proferred. She examined it, noticing the symmetrical fringe, wide round frames and girly coat that were part of Hondou Eisuke's distinctive features. Finally, she smiled and shook her head.

"Thank you, Suzuki. I appreciate the gift, even if I hate to disappoint you. There is nothing romantic between Hondou and I." Sonoko watches as Miyano's smile takes on a bittersweet slant. "Although we do have a lot in common, I guess. I didn't think we'd get on at first, but he grows on you."

"Hondou is very sweet," Ran agreed. There was something in Ran's voice that gave Sonoko pause. She glanced at her best friend, unsure what to make of her tone.

"By the way, Mouri, Suzuki..." Turning back to Miyano, Sonoko was pleasantly surprised. The was a smile there, not a smirk, not bittersweet and small. Miyano Shiho's face was lit up with something resembling contentment. It made her look beautiful and radiant. "You can call me Shiho if you want."


End file.
